About the Work

In the last century there was a continuing dialogue in the art world trying to determine whether photography is really “art”. The vast number of photographic exhibits and extensive museum collections worldwide are testament that the general public and the art world in particular has made up its mind on the issue. The heated discussions now focus on the legitimacy of “digital” vs. “traditional”; “manipulated vs. “straight” photography.

In the realm of fine art, I believe that the issue remains, as always, “is the image emotionally engaging, evocative and interesting to look at”? The tools used to create an image are incidental to the image itself. My goal is to be true to how I feel about the subject, rather than how the subject might appear to someone else.” My work does not generally fall into the category of documentary.

My primary focus since 1975 has been visual design for projection environments. My images are often composited, dissolved into one another, and accompanied by music, which adds another strong emotional component. I enjoy creating archetypal imagery that is evocative yet leaves plenty of room for the viewer to create his or her own story.

Light Paintings
When I made the transition to a digital camera, I began to look at the image captured as almost a raw sketch to be manipulated and embellished freely. I started looking at paintings for inspiration. Photography literally means “drawing with light”. Today we have tools that allow us to paint with light, using photography as the genesis of an image. The series “Salon Salon” evolved from photos that I took of an event my daughter produced at Vidal Sasson in San Francisco. I used a very low resolution first generation digital camera. When I reviewed the “photos” I was appalled at how bad they looked; noisy, no tonal gradation, weird color. Yet there was something in there that I wanted to bring out. This was my first venture into “severely messing” with digital files, to the extent that most people don’t recognize the final print as a photograph at all. Much of my photographic life has been spent on a tripod, locked onto my subject, making minute adjustments to refine the composition. It is very freeing to shoot from the hip, gathering raw materials for “painting with light”.
 

Tlacotlapilco
Tlacotlapilco means “rain of stones” in the ancient Nuhuatl language of central Mexico. I lived in this tiny village in the Mexican desert for four months after graduating from Universidad de las Americas in 1970. Though abjectly poor, the people were the most generous and gracious I have ever known. These photos are from an essay that was circulated in the U.S. to help fund medical work in the village. Twenty years later I returned to find the village changed beyond recognition.
 

Masks
I originally took these pictures on a summer afternoon in 1976 on Market Street in San Francisco. They became part of a 6 projector multi-image show that premiered later that year. After this, the slides sat dormant for nearly 25 years.

In the aftermath of 911, I found myself drawn once again to these images. I saw in them the protective shields that we erect that end up entombing us. As I worked on their further development and expression, they looked back at me from the walls of my studio, seeming to reveal their personal histories and their relationships to each other. My goal is to create tableaux that allow viewers to imagine their own narratives.
 

Stones
One day, an acquaintance showed up on my doorstep with a blanket full of magnificent specimens of quartz crystal from Arkansas. The slides that I produced that afternoon formed the basis of one of my most popular media pieces “Crystallization”. Recently my wife gave me a copy of Bill Atkinson’s book “Within the Stone”, which has rekindled my interest in capturing nature’s mineral masterpieces. Seen close-up, many of these images appear as abstract paintings.
 

Flowers and Botanicals
My grandfather was a very prominent horticulturist and the hero of my childhood days. Through his ever-present magnifying glass I was introduced to the wondrous beauty of plants and flowers. I still tend to take a “bee’s eye view” as I wander gardens taking pictures.
 

Scenics
Though I am drawn mostly to the realm of macro photography, the magnificent vistas here in Hawaii are impossible to ignore. Most of my scenic images are frozen moments out of multi-image shows that are set to music.
 

Running Desert Man
Running Desert Man is a work that flows from a vision that I had many years ago. It is a myth that revolves around the elements of earth, air, fire, water and ether. The Running Desert Man is born in the element of ether, and is catapulted into this world as fire. He embodies each earthly element as he is enveloped in forgetfulness of his source. This is the story of his surrender and reunion with Spirit.
 

Portraits
Very occasionally, a portrait captures the ineffable character of the person in front of the lens. Most often, it is a reflection of the person behind the camera. Still we are drawn to pictures of each other, perhaps looking for some passageway to our own soul.
 

Figure Studies
Beyond the obvious fascination of nudes, I am attracted to the timeless quality of the figure devoid of the trappings that define time and place. When I portray the figure, I am looking for an expression of the eternal, ethereal, and timeless.